Composition for soles and heels of shoes and boots



l UNITED STATES PATENT QFFI HENRY GEORGE rxErnoE ANDOVER, MASSACHUSETTS.

COMPOSITION FOR SOLES AND HEELS OF SHOE S AND BOOTS, VENEERS, PACKINGAND o'l'HER PuR- POSES. y

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 26,309, dated November 29, 1 859. 3 i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY GEORGE TYER, of Andover, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Composition for Boot Heels andSoles, Veneers, Packing, and other Purposes and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention consists of a new and useful composition made of vulcanized india-rubber, leather, and gutta-percha in the proportions and manner hereinafter set forth.

To enable others to manufacture my invention, I will proceed with a statement of the proportions of the several ingredients and the process of manufacture.

I take of leather scraps, cuttings, parings or chips-such as may be obtained from shoemakers or other manufacturers of leather goods-eight (8) pounds; old vulcanized india-rubber, (preferably that which has COlIlbined with it a certain amount of fibrous material, as worn out overshoes,belting, orhose,) two (2) pounds; and raw gntta-percha two (2) pounds, and proceed as follows, to wit: I first reduce theleather and india-rubber separately to powder, or to a finely-granulated state, by passing it between the rollers of an ordinary indie-rubber mill, the rollers being either cold or heated, or by anyothermeans. Ithen pass the india-rubber and gutta-percha together repeatedly between the rollers of theindia-rubher mill, keeping the rollers heated to a temperature of about 200 Fahrenheit until they are thoroughly incorporated. I afterward add the pulverized granulated leather and pass the whole repeatedly between the rollers to knead and masticate the substances together until they are thoroughly combined. The composition may then, while hot, be pressed into molds or dies of any desired form by a hydraulic or other press, or be rolled into sticks or sheets by passing it between grooved, plain, or engraved rollers, or it may be pressed into blocks by direct pressure and sawedinto thin sheets suitable fon veneers or other purposes, or cut by other tools, or turned in a lathe, to any desired form, and is capable of having a fine natural polish produced upon it by friction.

The properties developed by the several in gredients of the composition are as follows, to wit: The leather gives body and solidity, the indie-rubber gives a moderate degree of flexibility and elasticity, the gntta-percha binds a a the whole together and gives it tenacity; and 1 if the india-rubber contains any fibrous substance that gives increased tenacity.

This composition is an excellent and durable material for the heels of boots and shoes,

also for the inner soles thcreofi Italso makes 1 an excellent air and water tight packingfor as the leather that is used is what is nowcom monly thrown away as waste; and oldvulcanized rubber goods can be obtained for about: t .1 1:

one cent per pound.

So far as I am aware it has not heretofore been practicable with econom y to put the worm out or cast-away pieces of vulcanized rubb'er-- ,such as old 'overshoes, springs, pipes, and other H Afterhaving been used long enough to injure them, such articles-to any useful purpose.

articles are thrown away, as the materialof which they are composed cannot be economically recast or devulcanized. By my improve ment all east-off vulcanized rubber may beim- 1 a mediately and cheaply appliedtohighly use, ful and valuable purposes. In many cases my, I

composition may be employed in lieu of bandrubber, as the costof manufacture and molding; is much less. In consequence of the strength I and stiffness imparted to .my composition by 1 the leather it can be usedlalsoin cases where gutta-percha would be inadmissible, particu- 1 larly in various articles of ornamental furniture, and can be freely operated upon by a whip-saw, file, or other tool. By pressureitf becomesof anyrequired hardness and solidity,

and in that condition requires a much higher 1; I degree of temperature than gutta-percha to I soften it, which in some cases is a great dis advantage. It may be substituted for hard rubber in many instances, for walkingcanes,

buttons, boxes and cases, 8w. My composi- I y tion, with the exception }of the fiber, being nearly indestructible, unless by fire, is conse quently admirably adapted for underground I water-pipes, leaders, &c.',at averycheap rate. y i It possesses a decided advantage overyother, 3

compounds in saving of time and expense in tools, dies, and other implements, notyforgetting the heater, steam, andfuel. For example, I

manyof thearticles manufactured in hard rubber are first formed in expensive and costly dies, remaining therein during the whole vulcanizing process, (many hours,) one die for each article; but by the use of my composition many hundreds may be turned out from the one die in the same period of time, and they are at once ready for the lathe, or for polishing or varnishing. Again, in after use it is not near so brittle as hard rubber, or so easily defaced as gutta-percha. a

I am aware that the mixture of various substances with india-rubber prior to vulcaniza- 

